Intent to Sole Source Accuris Exclusive Electronic Subscription Delivery of Standards Platform for Technical Standards Systems (NTSS)

NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has a requirement to award a contract for the services and products for the implementation and support of an Agency-wide electronic Web-based Technical Standards Platform for accessing technical standards and related information via the NASA Technical Standards System (NTSS).

The objective of the platform is to provide Agency- wide users with effective access to technical standards and the standards metadata from various Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) needed for Design Engineering efforts. NASA/MSFC intends to award the standards subscription platform on a sole source basis with Accuris for 12 months. Accuris has an exclusive right-to-sell the standards content being procured through their proprietary platform called “Engineering Workbench”.

The standards content that Accuris provides through their platform has been negotiated with the SDOs via an exclusive licensing agreement between Accuris and the SDOs of interest listed in Attachment A. Under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.501(b)(1)(i), NASA/MSFC intends to award a new contract to acquire seven (7) electronic subscriptions from the SDOs as listed above for twelve (12) months..

The Government intends to acquire these commercial items pursuant to FAR Part 12. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email glenda.m.clemons@nasa.gov or wade.s.amis@nasa.gov no later than 26 July by 2:00 PM CST. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this acquisition on a competitive basis.

A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html